- Refined and powerful 4.5-litre V8 engine
- Quiet, well-insulated cabin
- Spacious interior
- Illiquid second-hand market
- Difficulty sourcing replacement parts
Overview
Released in September 1993, the Nissan G50 Infiniti Q45 was a large, luxury sedan. Manufactured in Tochigi, Japan, the rear-wheel drive Q45 was powered by a 4.5-litre V8 petrol engine that was mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. In international markets, the Q45 was sold under Nissan’s Infiniti brand; in Australia, however, the vehicle was marketed simply as the Nissan Infiniti. It has been reported that Australian sales for the Infiniti Q45 were only 132 units.
VH45DE engine
The 4.5-litre VH45DE V8 petrol engine had an aluminium cylinder block and cylinder heads, a forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods, six-bolt main bearing caps, molybdenum-coated pistons, sodium-filled exhaust valves, coil-on-plug ignition, pentroof combustion chambers, double overhead camshafts (per cylinder bank) with metal-backed camshaft timing chain guides, four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing (Nissan’s ‘VTC’) and a compression ratio of 10.2:1. While the engine’s official peak power output is 207 kW, it is understood to be around 224 kW since a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ between Japanese manufacturers precluded the production of engines which exceeded 280 bhp (208 kW).
Dimensions and suspension
The Infiniti Q45 was 5090 mm long, 1825 mm wide, 1435 mm tall and had a 2880 mm long wheelbase; kerb weight was 1838 kg.
The Infiniti Q45 had independent, multi-link suspension front and rear with coil springs and stabiliser bars.
| Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infiniti Q45 | 4.5-litre petrol V8 (VH45DE) |
4sp auto | 207 kW at 6000 rpm | 400 Nm at 4000 rpm |
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the Infiniti Q45 included dual front airbags, ABS and front seatbelt pretensioners.
Features
Standard features for the Infiniti Q45 included 15-inch alloy wheels with 215/65 R15 95V tyres, a six speaker Bose sound system with a CD player, climate control air conditioning, leather upholstery, power adjustable front seats, cruise control, front fog lights, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, a power sunroof, driver memory settings (for the seat, steering wheel and door mirrors), woodgrain interior trim and an alarm.
As standard, the Infiniti Q45 was also fitted with a viscous limited-slip rear differential.
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